Department of Graduate Nursing Chair
Message from the Chair
Shonda Phelon DNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
We are happy you have chosen to explore your options and consider Mississippi’s first nurse practitioner program for your advanced practice nursing degree!
If you want to become a Family Nurse Practitioner and obtain your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), you would be joining a “long blue line” of nurse practitioners who currently fill roles in practice, academia, research, and leadership. The W’s nurse practitioner program began in 1974 and has produced approximately 1,200 NPs who provide care to thousands of patients throughout Mississippi and various other locations.
The Master’s and the Post Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Program is an intensive, full-time program and takes one calendar year to complete. Graduate faculty are all nurse practitioners who remain current and up to date through active NP practice. The Graduate Faculty’s backgrounds include family practice, pediatrics, orthopedics, women’s health, gerontology, urgent care, emergency room, and psych-mental health. Faculty members are practice experts and are also involved professionally on the local, state and national level.
Highlights of the MSN FNP program:
- August to August – one year to complete
- Clinical placement near or in your home town
- Excellent national board certification rate and accredited by CCNE
- Hybrid Model with one day of face-to-face classes on Monday and occasional Tuesday
- Internet access to faculty and wireless access in classrooms
- Beautiful historic building for classes with state-of-the-art simulation equipment
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is designed exclusively for practicing nurse practitioners or new nurse practitioner graduates. The overall goal of the program is to produce Clinical Nurse Scholars, with a focus on chronic disease and leadership in nursing. The program is 4-5 semesters and completed in 2 calendar years. The format is hybrid with approximately 3 one day visits to campus each year. The clinical residency may be done at your practice site, or if you are a new NP graduate and need to complete monitored practice hours, we can arrange clinical placement. The DNP project is an evidence-based practice change project designed to be completed in your community or at your practice site. The purpose of the project is to improve NP practice, and many of our students have published and presented their project topics. The majority of the courses and content are clinically based and will definitely enhance or improve practice.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Shonda Phelon DNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
E-mail: jsphelon@muw.edu
Phone: (662) 329-7323, toll free (877) 462-8439 X 7323